


Ceiling Constellations in G Minor

by HawkyBarton



Series: The many AUs of Clint Francis Barton [6]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fem!Clint - Freeform, Shifter AU, fan fic, mating au, pretty much everyone is a shifter but clara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2019-10-05 16:47:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17328767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HawkyBarton/pseuds/HawkyBarton
Summary: Clara is the only human in a pack of wolf shifters. Human hating wolf shifters. Clara hating human hating wolf shifters.Life sucks.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I love fem!Clint so much

Clara hated her life. She truly did. There wasn’t much good in it, and the good she did have wasn’t that great. Clara considered herself an outcast. Everyone else considered her an outcast who lived the high life she didn’t deserve. Clara was the only human living in a wolf shifter pack. In fact, no human had set foot on pack land within a hundred-mile radius for over a hundred years before Clara came on the scene. Humans were not allowed in shifter packs, but the previous Alpha was a bit of a rebel who played by his own damn rules. See, humans were seen as the weaker species. The weaker species that had access to a fuck ton of weapons, making them incredibly dangerous. In the shifter history books, any time a human had found out about shifters - disaster wasn’t too long to follow. Needless to say, shifters didn’t like humans.

It really made Clara think about why Fury took her out of the woods all those years ago. It wasn’t like she had asked him too. On the contrary, she had practically begged the older man to let her die.

Fucking bastard.

Now here she was, 12 years later, and still stuck in the alpha’s home. Nothing to show for it, and hated by all.

Alpha Fury had stepped down about a year ago and handed over the reins to his nephew, Phil. Phil wasn’t actually any blood relation to Fury; Phil’s father and mother, the alpha and his mate before Fury, had passed away when Phil was just a baby. At the time, Fury had been the alpha’s beta, so it was the most obvious option to have him take care of Phil and become Alpha until Phil was of age.

When Phil turned 26 last year, Fury stepped down and is now living out his golden years playing golf with his wolf buddies. Only coming out of hiding and helping when absolutely necessary.

Lucky bastard.

Phil and Clara had spent a good chunk of their adolescence together. They were roughly the same age and had a lot of things in common (or at least, that’s what Clara made Phil believe). It wasn’t until Phil had started his Alpha training at 18 when they started to drift apart. A different Phil, a harder Phil, took his place. Everything else followed soon after.

Too bad Clara had already fallen in love with him.

So here she was, stuck, several years later. Sometimes, she felt more like a pet than a member of the pack.

Maybe that was what she was. Some stray little animal they dragged in and then treated like dirt because no one knew what to do with a pet. But that was another can of worms Clara didn’t want to psychoanalyze today.

When Phil had taken over, he had kept in place (was forced to) a lot of the old traditions in the pack. The primary one being the ranking of the wolves. There wasn’t a single pack out there that didn’t have pack rankings, but Phil’s was a little laxer than others. At the top of the ranks was the Alpha: Phil. You could consider him sort of like the mayor of a small town, or a King of a small provincial country. Next up was any old alphas still alive, like Fury. They were mostly highly ranked since they sat in a supervisory position and knew trade secrets. Next up were the betas (or enforcers) of the clan. You could consider them the police department for the pack. Some of the enforcers included: Tony Stark, Natasha Romanova, Thor Odinson, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Bruce Banner, and Bucky Barnes. After them came the thetas. Thetas consisted of all the hardworking positions that had almost nothing to do with brawn (i.e. doctors, advisors, lawyers, scientists). Some of the pack’s thetas included: Pepper Potts, Jane Foster, Matt Murdock, James Rhodes, Betty Ross, and the Maximoff twins. Then after the thetas, came the omegas. This group consisted of the people who needed to be protected the most. The people in this group were usually children, the elderly, and anyone with a disability that enabled them to work for one reason or another. Lastly, there was Clara. The human.

Bottom of the food chain baby.

Clara wished she could just pick up everything and leave, but it wasn’t feasible. Everything she owned was provided by the pack, and she had no money or job to provide for herself.

Not for lack of trying on her part.

Clara has submitted applications to every business in the pack at least once a year since she was 18. No one ever responded back. She had even mentioned going to the human town to get a job. That went over as well as a bull in a china shop the first time she had mentioned it. She hadn’t asked again after that.

See? Stuck.

~  
“Life sucks and then you die,” Clara muttered to herself as she climbed out of her window, and shimmied down the tree that was parked next to it.

“You know you aren’t allowed to leave your room after dark per the Alpha.” A male voice said from behind her.

Clara closed her eyes, cursed her luck under her breath, and turned around. “Barnes, long time no see. Fuck off for me, please? It’s not like you actually care…”

Bucky smirked and shook his head. “No can do, kiddo. I may not give a shit what you do, but Phil does. Phil cares a whole lot, and I’m not getting my ass kicked again this week.”

Clara shrugged her shoulders and started to walk past him, praying that he wouldn’t stop her. “Sounds like a personal problem Barnes. Why don’t you just lie to him? He won’t beat you up then…”

Bucky caught her arm. “Tsk, tsk kiddo. You know as a beta I cannot tell a lie.”

Clint yanked her arm away from his. “You’re not George Washington Barnes. And stop calling me kiddo, we’re only a couple of months apart. Now, buzz off!” Clara once again tried to walk away from the other man.

Bucky let out a put-upon sigh as he followed her. “Why do you have to make things so hard?”

“That’s what she said.”

“Clara, be serious.”

“Who says I’m not? Now run along little doggy, mama has some things to do.”

“I hate the hard way,” Bucky muttered before Clara was flipped over his shoulder and carried back to the house.

Clara immediately began to bang her fists against his back. “Swine! Inbred! Your mother was a border collie, and your father was a chihuahua!!”

“That all you got? Losing your touch there human, I expected more from you.” Bucky laughed and walked through the house to Phil’s office. Once there, he knocked on the door.

“Come in” Phil called out.

Bucky nudged open the door and dropped Clara back down on her feet. “Found her sneaking out again boss.”

Phil let out a sigh and shot Clara an exasperated look “Really? This is your fifth time sneaking out in as many days! Do you not think Clara? Is there something wrong in that tiny human brain of yours that stops you from making any good decisions??”

Clara ground her teeth at the human crack and stared at the wall above Phil’s head. He wouldn’t get a rise out of her tonight.

“Bucky, you can go home. I’ll handle Clara for the night.”

“Cool, night boss. See you tomorrow kiddo… Maybe.” Bucky winked at Clara and left the room.

Clara didn’t take that maybe lightly, no matter how jokingly Barnes stated it. You never know with shifters how their temper will blow. Her punishment could be a slap on the wrist, or it could be death. Clara never knew. She was kinda hoping for a slap on the wrist though. Death by canine wasn’t on her bucket list.

“Honestly Clara, what am I going to do with you?”

Clara looked at Phil. “Stop treating me like I’m four?”

“Maybe I will if you stop acting like it.”

Clara didn’t respond.

“You’ve disobeyed my orders one too many times Clara.”

Clara crossed her arms over her chest. Waiting.

“You’ll be punished. Publicly. The pack must know that no one can disobey my orders.”

Clara tensed but didn’t show any further reaction.

“Well?”

“Can I go?”

“... You have nothing to say on your behalf?”

Clara didn’t respond.

Phil sighed and waved his hand, “Go. The punishment is tomorrow. Be ready.”

Clara grunted and stormed out of the room.

  
*******  
Two betas came for her the next morning, Natasha and Steve. They dragged her from her bed and shoved her into a freezing cold shower. Natasha stayed in the bathroom with her while she showered and brushed her teeth. Afterward, Natasha forced her into a thick sports bra and some shorts, and away they went.

Clara hadn’t had time to properly dry off, so the wet on her skin combined with the cold dew of the morning left her freezing. Within five minutes of being outside, her nose was already slightly runny, and her eyes were a little red.

Natasha and Steve dragged her all the way to the field behind the Alpha house. The field was used for any games, picnics, or public punishing. Usually, these events happened at the same time.

“You brought this on yourself, you know that right?” Steve said chidingly.

“By not wanting to be locked in my room like some kind of prisoner? Sure, brought it on myself.”

“Stop being so dramatic, you’re only locked in there at night time,” Natasha said with an eye roll.

Clara didn’t bother continuing her argument, she wouldn’t win against Natasha. The woman could argue that the sun was blue and win.

The whole pack was already in attendance, and Phil was standing front and center. Clara made sure to stare him down, never once showing an ounce of fear or regret. When she was inches away from Phil, she was shoved down to her knees.   
“About time you showed up. You’ll be late for your own funeral Clara”

Clara tilted her head, “Is that where I’m going next?”

Phil’s nostrils flared, but he didn’t answer her query. Instead, he faced the crowd. “For the past several nights, human Clara has deliberately disobeyed my orders!”

The crowd booed and hissed.

“I will stand for it no more. Today, I publicly punish her for her crimes. The punishment is a lashing.”

The crowd cheered as Phil placed his hand out, a whip appearing in it moments later.

“Twenty lashes to the back. Counted. A count not heard or a number jumped means we start over.”

Clara clenched her jaw and stared into space. A lashing? She’d handled worse.

“We begin!”

The whip cracked through the air, landing on her back in a line of fire.

“One” Clara croaked out.

“Not loud enough. We begin again!”

Another crack, this time Clara made sure she was louder.

“One!” She cried out.

The lashing continued, but Clara tuned it out by the fourth or fifth lash. She was not unused to pain.

Phil put down the whip after the last slash and turned to the ground. “The punishment is done, you may start the festivities.”

Phil turned to one of his betas and nodded. “Take her away.”

The appointed beta, Tony, leaned down to grab her arm. Clara jerked away from him and stood up by herself.

“Woah, easy there, ”Tony muttered as her legs slightly buckled underneath her.

“Back off.” Clara snapped as she locked her knees.

The pack swirled around her, smirks and jeers pointed her way as they set up for the day’s picnic. Clara tipped up her chin, they would get no satisfaction from her today.

“Okay blondie, let’s get you inside.”

Clara shrugged Tony off once more. “Go enjoy your day, I know how to walk.”

Tony frowned, “I’m just trying to help.”

Clara snorted and began to walk, the congealed blood beginning to crack as the wounds were opened up by the movement. Fresh blood began to steadily pour down her spine. “You don’t actually care Stark.”

Tony followed alongside her. “I mean.. I do care… I just have no sympathy. You-”

“Shouldn’t have done it. I fucking know. Leave me alone Stark.” Clara picked up her pace and stormed into the Alpha house, slamming the door shut in Tony’s face.

Taking a deep breath, Clara walked through the house and up the stairs to her room. Every step shot agonizing pain through her body. It took everything in her to clean herself off before falling into the bed.

Pressing her face into her pillow, Clara cried.

She cried from the pain.

She cried from the pain from today, and the pain she had suffered before.

She cried for her heart that had broken into yet another piece at Phil’s actions.

She cried for her present.

She cried for her past.

She cried until she couldn’t cry anymore.

And then she slept.

She slept and had dreams of her past.

A past that she had left behind, but was still somehow living.

  
~  
Clara had been born 25 years ago to a Harold and Edith Barton. They had one older child, Charles “Barney” Barton. Harold and Edith had wanted another boy but had been stuck with Clara instead. Edith had something go wrong during the labor, which meant no more children for the couple - which meant no more boys.

Clara did not start off life on the right foot.

Edith and Harold were decent enough parents if neglectful of their children (more so Clara than Barney). They had a butcher business that kept them away from home a lot, but at least the children were fed and clothed. It wasn’t until Clara was 4 that things took a turn. The Barton’s business went bankrupt, which meant that they had no money to feed four mouths. Harold started to drink heavily, and anything in his way got smacked. Edith did nothing to stop this behavior. By the time she was five, Clara knew how to dodge a punch better than her ABC’s. A year later, Harold wrapped the vehicle he and Edith were in around a tree. Off to the orphanage, Clara and Barney went.

The orphanage was nice for Clara. No one ever hit her, and the employees there gave her three meals a day. But Barney didn’t like being told what to do. He was ten by then and thought he knew better than any of the people there. So 6 months in, he woke Clara up in the middle of the night, and away they went to the circus.

The circus was a marvelous place for children. Well, children that didn’t have to work. Barney was able to get a job as one of the assistant roadies. He helped set up and tear down the tents and attractions between each stop. Clara, too tiny for such things, was relegated to helping with the animals. She fed them, brushed and washed them, and slept by their side on the train. Within a year, Barney had caught the attention of two of the star performers of the circus: Buck Chisholm, and Jacques Duquesne. Trickshot and the Swordsman, respectively. Barney started helping them out with their acts and started learning their trades in the downtime.

Clara began watching them practice when she wasn’t playing with the horses or the lions. It was fun to see them playing with the bows and swords. Clara tried to pay attention, she wanted to learn how to do all the fun stuff too. Soon after that, Clara was caught playing around with some of their equipment, copying the movements that she had seen them do. She was worried that she was going to get in trouble with the two older gentlemen, but they decided she had potential instead.

A few months after that, The Amazing Hawkeye made their debut.

Barney was incredibly jealous. He believed Clara stole the spotlight from him and started hitting her between shows immediately after.

Clara took it in stride, by this point she accepted the beatings and went on with her day.

Things stayed normal for about year after she first started performing. Both Buck and Jacques worked her hard day and night. If she was good, she had to be great. If she was great, she had to be spectacular. If she messed something up, she only did it once.

Then, Buck and Jacques started asking her to use her skills for other things. She didn’t realize until years later that what they asked her to do was against the law.

It was small things at first; cat burglary and petty larceny to begin with. As she got older, the more complex her extra tasks became. Clara just blindly followed their orders and never questioned what she was doing. Barney got into the thick of things with the men too. They were running a scheme to drain Carson’s Circus of every last dime they had.

It wasn’t until Barney sent her out to kill a man that had figured out their scheme and was going to report them, that she finally shoved her foot down. The evil that she saw in the three men opened her eyes. She told them no, for the very first time.

No was not the right word to say.

Two days later Clara was dumped in the middle of the woods, battered and almost at death’s door.

To this day Clara does not know how she managed to bring herself from the brink and kept herself alive for two weeks before Fury found her. But she did.

The rest was history.

*******  
Phil frowned when he spotted Tony at the picnic table next to Pepper.

“Tony, did you not take Clara over to Betty’s practice?”

Tony swallowed the food that was in his mouth. “No, she said she was fine. Almost broke my nose slamming the door in it.”

Phil sighed and rubbed his hand across his face. “You didn’t force the issue, at all?”

“No, sir. You never explicitly said she had to go.”

“Because I didn’t think I had to. Jesus Christ, she’s stubborn.”

Tony grimaced, “Sorry boss?”

“Don’t be. We all know what Clara is like. I’ll get her over there, thank you though.”

“No problemo. Call out if you need some help, she was definitely in a mood.”

Pepper slapped at Tony’s shoulder. “Tony, be nice.”

“Me? Not nice? I’m always nice!!”

Phil left before he could be dragged into one of their arguments. Waving to different pack members as they passed by, Phil made his way back over to the house.

Phil spotted the picture of his Uncle Nick on the way to Clara’s bedroom. “Of all the responsibilities to saddle me with, why did she have to be one of them?”

The painting didn’t answer him.

Bastard.

*******  
Clara woke up to a pounding noise on her door.

She immediately knew who it was.

“Go away, I’m fine!”

Phil pounded on the door again. “Why didn’t you go to Betty?”

“Because I was fine.”

“You’re not fine Clara, I can smell the blood from out here!”’

Clara rolled her eyes and snuggled deeper under her covers. “I already bandaged them, Phil, there’s not much more than Betty can do. Now leave me alone!”

Phil pounded on her door a few more times, but when she didn’t respond, they stopped.

This lulled Clara into a false sense of security. She knew Phil better than that, the man was no quitter. 10 minutes later, the door was kicked open, and on the other side was Phil and Betty (the pack doctor).

Clara yelped at the noise and gathered her sheets around her chest.

“I’ll get the door fixed later. Betty, please see to her wounds.”

Clara shot Phil a furious look as the theta made her way over to Clara and looked at the bandages Clara had already put on.

“These seem clean. Just make sure to keep changing them out every couple of hours.”

Clara nodded, she knew that already.

“Okay, I’m done.” Betty patted Phil on the shoulder and left.

Clara laid back down and pulled the covers over her. Phil got the message and left the room. The door was fixed later that day, just in time for her nightly lock-in.

  
*******  
Clara tried to pretend nothing happened after that. The pack wasn’t having that. They believed that since the Alpha had punished her, they could do so too. No, they couldn’t beat her up, but they could definitely do other things.

After the punishment, Clara attempted to go into the pack town. Each time she had been turned away from the stores, given burnt food at the restaurants and the only grocery store in the town was ‘closed’ whenever she walked by.

It didn’t break her, but she was torn.

The third day of being sent away was the last straw. Clara went back into her room, crawled under her covers, and didn’t emerge from her room for two weeks.

Food was sent back only partially eaten, any attempt at contact was ignored.

On the sixteenth day of her exile, Clara was rudely awakened by Pepper Potts.

The theta dragged open Clara’s curtains, forcing light into the room. “Rise and shine! Ms. Moody puss is no more, it’s time to face reality.’

Clara peeked her head out of the covers and glared at Pepper. “What do you want?”

“I want you to get out of bed.”

“But why?”

“Because two weeks is too long to wallow in self-pity?”

Clara raised an eyebrow.

“It’s time for you to get up.”

“I disagree.”

“Too bad. You can’t mope around any longer.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re an adult.”

“Not if you ask Phil.”

Pepper ripped the sheets off Clara and put her hands on her hips. “Don’t be petty.”

“He whipped me and the town treats me like shit, I’m allowed to be petty.”

Pepper rolled her eyes. “It was a punishment, it happens to everyone, calm down. As for the town? Well, I mean you are human.”

Clara shot her a ‘no shit, Sherlock’ look and started to reach for the covers.

Pepper smacked her hand away.

“Ouch!!”

“No covers. Time to get up!”

“Why? Not a single one of you has given a shit about me for the past 15 days. Why now?”

“That’s need to know, and you don’t. Now get up before I get Thor to throw you in the river.”

Clara narrowed her eyes, something was definitely up.

“... No.”

Pepper raised an eyebrow and then smirked. “Thor!!!”

“Yes?”

“Fine! I’m getting up.” Clara hissed as she dragged herself from the bed.

“Good, I’ll be in there in 30 minutes to help you dress.”

Clara paused. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Get going or I yell for Thor once again.”

“Fine!!”

  
*******  
Clara looked down at herself. “Why am I wearing a dress? And have my makeup on? And have my hair all done up?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just go downstairs, Phil will meet you in his study.”

Clara frowned. “Phil? I don’t understand.”

“You don’t need to. Now go, I need to get ready too.”

Now Clara was really confused and suspicious. What was going on? Phil and the pack never invited her to their fancy pack-to-pack parties. Not that she ever minded. Being around a bunch of stuck up wolves was not an ideal way to spend her time.

Clara walked down the steps ill-at-ease, coming to a stop at Phil’s study door.

Phil opened it the second she arrived, looking particularly stunning in a fitted tux.

Not that she would ever let him know that.

“Good, you’re dressed. Come into the study.”

Clara followed him in with a frown on her face. “What’s going on Phil? I’m never invited to any of your fancy pack galas.”

Phil sat back in his seat and poured himself a scotch. He offered one to Clara, but she declined. “That’s because it’s not.”

“... What?”

“It’s not a pack-to-pack gala.”

“Then what is it, Phil?”

Phil chugged the rest of drink, making Clara’s frown deepen. “It’s a possible business merger gala.”

“...That still doesn’t explain why I have to go.”

“They’re humans.”

Clara leaned back in her seat. “Oh, I see.”

“See what?”

Clara shook her head and stood up. “You already know Phil. I’ll be your little anthropologist interpreter dress up doll tonight, but afterward, you leave me alone.”

“Clara. Come on…”

“I’ll be in the ballroom, waiting for it to start. Come get me when I’m needed.”

Phil tried to call out to her again, but Clara just stormed out of the study, the door slamming shut behind her.

  
*******  
Phil had gathered Clara up and was waiting with her at the Alpha house entrance.

“You’ll be compensated for this, I assure you.”

Clara snorted. “I’ve gotten enough compensation from your kind, thank you. I think I’m just fine.”

Phil frowned, “And what the hell does that mean?”

“Hush. Your guests are arriving.”

“Screw the guests, what the hell did you mean by that comme-”

“Phillip!! So nice to see you again!” Alexander Pierce exclaimed loudly, his hand already out in a shake.

Alexander Pierce was the human CEO of the company Phil wanted to do business with. Wolf packs may be seclusionary, but as time has progressed, a lot of them have adopted doing small business mergers with humans to make money for the pack. Usually, that means selling goods at craft fairs, or food trades, etc. Phil was going to a whole other scale with this merger. If he didn’t plan things correctly, his whole pack could go to waste.

Phil took the man’s hand, giving Clara her moment to escape.

“Was that the lovely lady you wanted me to meet?” Pierce said with a smile as he stepped closer to Phil.

“Yes, she’s a little shy though.”

Pierce waved a hand. “I have several daughters, I totally understand. She’ll talk when she’s ready. Now, why don’t you introduce me around?”

Phil nodded and led the older man through the crowd, all the while trying to get his eye on Clara.

~  
“The Alpha won’t like you hiding in the corner.” Stated a voice from behind Clara.

“The Alpha can eat my shorts Banner, please leave me alone.”

Bruce sighed, “I know you haven’t had the greatest life here in the pack - but is this behavior really helping things? The more you push, the angrier the pack gets.”

Clara shrugged, “So kick me out.”

Bruce moved to the front of Clara. “Is that what you’re hoping for?”

“Yes… No. Maybe… I don’t really know.”

Bruce placed a hand on Clara’s shoulder and gave it a quick pat. “Well, you better figure that out, before the decision is made for you. Those humans looked interested in you.”

Clara bit her lip, “He wouldn’t like… sell me off or anything, right?”

“No. Clara, I know you know Phil better than that.”

Clara sighed and looked over to where Phil was schmoozing with the humans. “I used to…”

“You still do. I promise. Now stop hiding before you get me in trouble too.”

Clara grimaced, “That’s emotional blackmail.”

“Whatever works. Come on kid, get back in the game.”

“Fine. But I’m not gonna like it.”

  
~  
“You wanted to see me Al-sir?”

Phil looked over at Clara and just knew she was hating this was every fiber of her being. The fake smile said it all. “Yes… I’d like to properly introduce you to our guest. Clara, this is Alexander Pierce. Pierce, this is Clara Barton - the girl I was telling you about.”

Pierce smiled and stuck out his hand, which Clara took in her own with a firm handshake. “Barton, you say? You wouldn’t happen to be a relation to Charles Barton….Goes by Barney.”

Phil felt Clara stiffen next to him, her smile becoming even more fixed. “No sir…. Must be a coincidence.”

Phil frowned at the strained note in her voice, promising himself he would ask her about it later.

“Ah, well nevermind then. Would you mind telling me more about this little community Phil has going on? He’s talked so much, but I would love to have another semi-unbiased opinion.”

Clara turned to look to Phil for permission, which he gave with a single nod.

Giving her own in return, Clara reluctantly laid her hand in the crook of Pierce’s elbow and was led off by the elder man.

“Alpha?”

Phil turned, “Yes Steve?”

“Are you sure about this group?”

Phil crossed his arms. “I’m on the fence…. Why?”

“I’m getting a bad vibe from these guys, and I’m not the only one.”

Phil sighed and reached out to smooth out his hair. “I’m feeling the same. We can do without this match-up, I know we can, but it would make the pack stronger to go with it.”

Steve grimaced. “Can you hold off on the decision until we do some more digging? I just want to be sure….”

Phil nodded. “That I can agree to.”

“Thank you, Alpha.”

“No problem, Steve. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go do my duties and dance with someone.”

“Better you than me boss, see ya”

  
*******  
“So you were found in the woods?”

“Yessir.”

“No recollection of your memories”

“Yessir.”

Pierce gave Clara a smile. “Fascinating…. You know one of my subsidiaries is a psychiatric firm. They have a new clinical trial that’s all about finding repressed memories through hypnosis. I can send you to them if you would like.”

Clara shook her head. “I uh….Very much appreciate the offer sir, but I think the past is best left there.”

“If you wish. But you’re free to call me if you ever change your mind.”

“You’ll be first on my list sir. Was there anything else you would like to know?”

“Oh no, my dear. I believe I have heard quite enough. We should get back inside before you catch a chill.”

Pierce offered Clara his elbow again, and she took it with a forced murmur of thanks.

Phil Coulson owed her for the past hour of torture, that was for damn certain.

~  
Phil watched as Pierce led Clara back into the room, and over to the table she had been sitting at. For some reason, this caused his wolf to both tense and relax at the same time. Like it was relieved that he could see them again but still tense that Pierce was so close to Clara.

What the hell was that about.

“I need to get laid… That’s what.”He muttered to himself as he found another willing female wolf to dance with.

  
*******  
Phil snapped the newspaper closed and looked at Clara. “What?” He snapped.

“Did you have to be so loud with that bitch last night? I didn’t fall asleep until dawn.”

“I live here.”

“So do other people.”

“One other person. I’m also the alpha, which means I can do as I will.”

“Sure, do whomever you will. But don’t be so loud.”

“I’m a grown man, Clara.”

“And? How would you feel if I pulled that shit with some random wolf?”

Phil’s wolf snarled inside his head. Phil slammed the paper down on the table. “What wolf have you been bringing home?!”

“None of your damn business.”

“I’m the alpha, everything is my business!”

“Not who I sleep with.”

Phil practically saw red. “Who have you been sleeping with?” He roared. Phil jumped up from the table, making the plates and cups rattle around of the table.

Clara jumped up as well. “I don’t have to tell you shit! I am a grown woman, and who I have a relationship with is none of your business.”

“It is when you’re living in my house!” Phil moved around the table and got closer to Clara.

Clara stepped closer to Phil, their chests practically touching. “Well, maybe I don’t have to live in your house!”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah!”

“Well, we’ll fucking see about that.” Phil, his vision still tinged with red, flipped Clara over his shoulder and walked out of the dining room.

“What the fuck are you doing?! Put me down you neanderthal!!”

“Shut up Clara, or you’ll make it worse for yourself.”

“You’ve already beaten me up, what’s the next step? Death? Bring it on buddy boy, I’m ready!”

Phil growled at her in warning, a kind of growl that could be heard around the entirety of the pack. It was a terrifying kind of growl.

“Oh hoy, look who’s getting tested. Did the wittle human make the poor wittle pupper angwy?” Clara snarked.

Phil reached the top of the steps and walked over to his bedroom door, his teeth practically ripping off his tongue to not rise to Clara’s baiting. She would get her punishment soon enough.

“Why the fuck am I in your room, Phil.”

“Alpha.”

“No.”

Phil threw Clara down on the bed. “Yes.”

“No, I refuse. You’re no alpha to me.”

Phil pushed Clara down onto the mattress and pinned her down with his body. “You don’t want to push me, Clara, you won’t like the consequences.”

Clara glared into Phil’s eyes and snarled. “Do your worst”

Phil gave his own snarl and smashed his lips down onto Clara’s.

  
*******  
Clara woke up several hours later, still wrapped up in Phil’s sheets.

  
Gasping, Clara slapped a hand to her neck. “You mated me, you bastard!!”


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the bite

Phil hadn’t stayed in the bedroom for Clara to wake up. Wise decision on his part, because Clara was ready for murder.  
  
“How could he? How could he?!!!”  
  
Phil had done something no one should ever do on accident.  
  
Phil had mated Clara.  
  
Mating was the most sacred thing two wolves could do to one another. It was a bite that bound two souls together.  
  
It was like a marriage on steroids.  
  
The mating mark was so sacred, and so binding, there had been cases of one mate dying shortly after, if not immediately, the other one had done so.  
  
This was something no one ever did on accident, in fact, it should have been physically impossible to do.  
  
Two people can only mate when their souls are so tightly bound as mates to begin with.  
  
As much as Clara loved Phil, she knew this wasn’t the case for the two of them.  
  
So how the hell had Phil done it??  
  
*******  
Phil had his head in his hands, slumped over his desk in disbelief.  
  
“That’s… That’s not possible sir. It just can’t be done.” Tony said in shock.  
  
“Well obviously it can Stark since Phil did it,” Natasha said with an eye roll. “Question is, what are you going to do about it, sir?”  
  
Phil groaned and rubbed at her face. “I don’t know...What can I do?”  
  
“Lock her up?”  
  
“Ignore it?”  
  
“Send her away?”  
  
Several voices said at once.  
  
“Locking her up would do nothing, ignoring her may work, and sending her away would make my wolf go insane,” Phil said with a sigh and he leaned back in his seat.  
  
“I mean, you’ve basically ignored her for the past several years. It shouldn’t be that much more difficult now. Your wolf may urge you to have sex with her more.” Bruce said thoughtfully.  
  
Phil groaned louder. “The stupid sex was the problem in the first place!!! I never should have done it, what was I thinking of? A wolf and a human will never work!”  
  
“Well… You gotta do something boss. Make it clear your intentions to, or Clara will start having ideas. You know she has a crush on you…” Bucky said with a pointed look.  
  
“Ugh. Don’t I know it. It’s the reason I ignored her all these years…”  
  
Steve, who had been silent this entire time, stood up. “I think you should talk to Alpha Fury. He’ll know what to do.”  
  
Phil sighed, “I think you’re right. You’re all dismissed. Thanks anyway.”  
  
  
*******  
Clara had stayed in Phil’s room for almost an hour, her mind racing with a hundred different thoughts as she waited for (hoped for) Phil’s return.  
  
During her waiting, Clara’s thoughts were a whirlwind that was going through the five stages of grief.  
  
Denial:  
  
“This can’t have happened. It’s all a dream. I’m going to wake up in my own bed as this had never happened.”  
  
Anger:  
“That stupid mother fucker. I bet he did this on purpose so I can never leave. He’ll lock me up in my room for the rest of eternity and lord the mating over my head while he fucks all his little wolf girlfriends with no fucking consequences.”  
  
Bargaining:  
“I swear I will never sneak out of my room again if this could just be all a dream. I won’t or complain about the pack anymore, please let this be a dream!!”  
  
Depression:  
“Phil doesn’t love me, he’s never loved me. This was a huge mistake and he’s gotta regret this for the rest of his life. I’m just gonna be shut up her like an old maid, and Phil is gonna be miserable all because of this.”  
  
Acceptance (or elation in Clara’s book):  
“Well… Only people who truly love each other can be mates. I love Phil… Which means, he must love me!! Oh my god, Phil loves me! Finally, I can have some love in my life and live happily ever after!!”  
  
Clara stupidly stayed in the last stage and bursting with excitement decided to find Phil instead of waiting in his room a moment longer.  
  
She was going to forgive him for everything that had happened in the last several years. Every. Single. Thing.  
  
They were in love!! Why should she hold grudges?  
  
Mates had to start life fresh of course.  
  
This mentality came crashing down when she got to the door of Phil’s office. The door was closed, and she could hear voices coming from inside.  
  
Clara knew eavesdroppers never heard what they wanted to hear, but what could it truly hurt?  
  
  
_“That’s… That’s not possible sir. It just can’t be done.” Tony said in shock._  
  
_“Well obviously it can Stark since Phil did it,” Natasha said with an eye roll. “Question is, what are you going to do about it, sir?”_  
  
_Phil groaned and rubbed at her face. “I don’t know...What can I do?”_  
  
_“Lock her up?”_  
  
_“Ignore it?”_  
  
_“Send her away?”_  
  
_Several voices said at once._  
  
_“Locking her up would do nothing, ignoring her may work, and sending her away would make my wolf go insane,” Phil said with a sigh and he leaned back in his seat._  
  
_“I mean, you’ve basically ignored her for the past several years. It shouldn’t be that much more difficult now. Your wolf may urge you to have sex with her more.” Bruce said thoughtfully._  
  
_Phil groaned louder. “The stupid sex was the problem in the first place!!! I never should have done it, what was I thinking of? A wolf and a human will never work!”_  
  
_“Well… You gotta do something boss. Make it clear your intentions to, or Clara will start having ideas. You know she has a crush on you…” Bucky said with a pointed look._  
  
_“Ugh. Don’t I know it. It’s the reason I ignored her all these years…”_  
  
  
Clara’s heart broke into a thousand pieces.  
  
Phil had known about her love… and it disgusted him. It had been her that had caused the rift between them, not his stupid Alpha training.  
  
Clara had never felt more broken. Stifling her tears, Clara ran back up the stairs as quickly and as quietly as possible.  
  
She couldn’t let anyone know what she had heard.  
  
She had to get away from the hell-hole. Immediately.  
  
Tonight.  
  
*******  
Phil stared down at the phone in shock, before placing it back at his ear. “What do you mean it wasn’t an accident?”  
  
Fury scoffed. “There are no accidental matings, boy. If your wolf felt the urge to bite, there was a reason. It’s up to your human half to catch up. Better do it quickly though, Clara isn’t going to keep waiting for you forever. Humans don’t have the same problems with the mate bite that we do. Better lock her down before she hops into bed with another wolf.”  
  
Phil’s eyesight narrowed as his wolf began to howl in fury at the mere thought of any male touching Clara. “I’ll kill any wolf that even comes near her!!!”  
  
Fury laughed, “Accidental, was it?”  
  
Phil rubbed at his nose, Uncle Fury was never wrong.  
  
Phil just had to figure out what was right.  
  
  
*******  
Clara shoved everything into a bag, no guilt in her heart of taking everything they pack had given her this time.  
  
The pack had treated her like shit, so she deserved to keep the damn items.  
  
It wasn’t even that much if she wanted to be honest. It was some clothes, a couple of books, toiletries, and some other miscellaneous items.  
  
Wiping a stray tear from her eye, Clara threw her bag onto her back and escaped out her window for the last time  
  
She quickly and swiftly climbed down the tree and headed onwards.  
  
Clara followed the trail in the woods over to her campsite. Clara had set this place up years ago, when Phil had first started his whole ‘we gotta lock Clara up at night,’ thing. This campsite was a safe-haven for her, and it had yet to be found. The tent had all of her favorite things in it, including a shoddy looking bow and arrow set she had made herself (as her own had been taken from her when the assholes have dumped her in the woods). She had used the set several times during the night to hunt for small game when she had gotten hungry.  
  
Clara was to spend the night here, pack it all up in the morning, and find a new place to stay. A human place to stay. A place where she could be with her own damn people, and not have to worry about stupid wolf politics. A _normal_ place.  
  
“Fuck you, Phil.” She hissed to herself as she slid into her tent. “Fuck. You.”  
  
*******  
Phil looked at the empty seat at the table and sighed. He had known better than to expect Clara down to eat dinner with him. She was probably as upset about the mating as he was.  
  
Unfortunately, things were gonna get a lot worse for her.  
  
He would try and speak with her tomorrow morning after she had calmed down a bit.  
  
“I’m sorry Clara,” he said to the empty room.  
  
*******  
Clara woke up the next morning, tired and sore. She had never spent the whole night in the tent before, which had apparently been a very good idea.  
  
“What did I park this tent on, a bunch of damn rocks?” Clara asked herself in disgust. “What time is it?”  
  
Clara consulted her watch. “7 o’clock. Just enough to get out of here before breakfast.”  
  
Climbing out of her tent, Clara gathered up everything into her duffel and began to set off.  
  
“Today’s the day I finally escape the pack. This feels great!”  
  
*******  
Phil sat down at the breakfast table the next morning and sat patiently for Clara to come down.  
  
He waited 30 minutes, but she still didn’t show.  
  
10 more minutes passed, and Phil was officially pissed off.  
  
Shoving back his chair, Phil stormed up the stairs and threw open Clara’s door. “Why the fuck are you still-”  
  
Phil’s words were cut off when he noticed that Clara wasn’t in her bedroom. The same could be said for the closet, and for her bathroom.  
  
In fact, she wasn’t anywhere to be seen.  
  
...Neither were her belongings.    
  
Clenching his jaw, Phil closed his eyes and reached out through their mating bond. Phil could still feel her, but it was faint.  
  
Clara was trying to run away.  
  
His eyes snapped open, “We’ll see about that”  
  
  
*******  
Clara had never been this far into the forest before. It was stunning. She had found a stream earlier and was currently walking along the same path. Birds were singing in the trees, and deer were frolicking in the bushes just on the other side of the stream.  
  
It was the perfect day to run away.  
  
Nothing could bring her mood down, or so she thought.  
  
Clara was just getting to what she believed was the main highway when she started to hear the howls.  
  
_Oh, no…._  
  
Who would have thought that Phil actually cared enough to go after her?  
  
_It’s not you, he cares about, it’s his wolf. Stupid._  
  
“He’s not gotta get me this time. I won’t allow it” Clara murmured to herself as she began to sprint through the trees. If she made it to the highway, Clara knew everything would be okay. She would flag down a car and just let them take her wherever they were going. She could start a new life, under a new name, with no pack stigma attached.  
  
“Come on, come on!” She told her legs, trying to pump them faster.  
She could tell that the wolves were closing in on her, she knew she wasn’t going to make it.  
  
Clara had two options to get out of this without a wolf attacking her. She could stop immediately and let Phil take her back to the Alpha house (not gonna happen), or she could stand her ground.  
  
A wolf wasn’t that much bigger than a fox.  
  
Clara was gonna have to fight.  
  
Pausing mid-stride, Clara whipped out her bow and arrow and waited.  
  
The howls got louder as the wolves got closer, she could sense them closing in on her.  
  
_Which is Phil? Where is he?_  
  
Closing her eyes, Clara tried to open up their stupid mating bond.  
  
_Gotcha._  
  
Snapping open her eyes, Clara quickly notched her arrow and spun around to point at Phil’s wolf at the exact same moment he pounced in front of her.  
  
“Back off!” Clara snapped, one foot stepping closer to Phil.  
  
The enforcers around her all growled in warning, but Clara wasn’t having it. Not today.  
  
Clara smiled, “What are they gonna do Phil? Kill me? They wouldn’t dare. Not with your wolf on the line. They even come close to me, I shoot. Then they have no Alpha.”  
  
Phil stared at her in shock.  
  
“Yeah… There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Phillip Coulson. It’s called the Last Fucking Straw. Send your dogs away.”  
  
Phil stared Clara down but barked at the surrounding wolves anyway.  
  
The wolves practically whined at Phil, but the alpha growled in response.  
  
Clara watched with a stony expression as the enforcer wolves began to slink away, tails between their legs.  
  
And then there were two.  
  
  
*******  
Phil was quick to change back into his human form. “What the hell is this Clara?”  
  
Phil’s heart was pounding in fear. Not for himself, but for the Clara he saw before him. Phil had been distant with her over the years, but this wasn’t anywhere close to the Clara he knew. This Clara was hardened, and the look in her eyes terrified.  
  
“It’s what I said it was Phillip. The Last Straw. I’m leaving this god awful place, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”  
  
Phil’s nostrils flared at her goading. She may the one with the weapon at the moment, but he wasn’t Alpha for nothing. Her insolence wouldn’t fly with him for long. “Clara, you know damn well you aren’t leaving. The wolves may have left our part of the woods, but we aren’t alone. You take a shot and you won’t live to see it.”  
  
Clara took a step closer to him, “Death doesn’t scare me. It never has. Or didn’t Fury tell you how I begged him to just let me die? Hmm? A twelve-year-old child begging the Alpha of one of the largest packs in the East for death doesn’t sound like someone afraid, does it?”  
  
Phil was taken aback. Fury had never once mentioned anything of the sort. “Jesus Christ Clara, _why?”_  
  
Clara shook her head and laughed. “Privileged little wolf. You don’t want to know. Now let me leave, it’s not as if you like me anyway.”  
  
Phil shook his head, taking a step closer to her. Clara’s arm stiffened on her bow and arrow, but Phil knew he had to take the chance. “Clara, of course, I care about you. Would I have let you live in the Alpha house if I didn’t? I could have easily built you a tiny cottage on the edge of pack lands and shipped you off.”  
  
Clara rolled her eyes. “You kept me in the house to control me. Know where the human is at all times, know that the human isn’t spilling your stupid little secret to anyone else.”  
  
Phil frowned. “Where is all this hatred coming from?”  
  
“Where? Where is it coming from? Is that really what you’re asking me???? Holy shit, that must be the stupidest thing I have ever heard come from your mouth. Where did the hatred come from.” Clara gave him a laugh. “How about my whole goddamn life? Every time I think something good is going to happen, I get shat on. Every. Fucking. Time. Even you, Phillip - have turned your back on me.” Clara’s eyes began to tear up. “Maybe it would be easier to be dead.”  
  
Phil’s heart began to thud harder in his chest as he arm trembled. “Clara… sweetheart… no.”  
  
“Don’t call me sweetheart!!! I’m NOT your sweetheart!” Clara spat at him, the weapon becoming taut in her hands once more. “You couldn’t care less about me, or my love for you. God, I can’t believe how stupid I was to think that you could love me.”  
  
“Clara, please-”  
  
“Shut up!! I’m sick and tired of you always talking over me!”  
  
Phil’s mouth snapped shut.  
  
“I just want to be free! I have been in chains my whole fucking life, and I want to be free!” Clara screamed at him, tears now streaming out of her eyes.  
  
“Clara, please put the weapon down. We can talk about this okay?”  
  
“No! I’m sick of you trying to ‘talk’ with me. You always end up getting your way, and I can’t take it anymore! Do you know what it’s like to never be heard? To never be understood??? To never be loved?! _I just want to be loved_!!”  
  
Phil’s heart was breaking the more he listened to Clara talk. He had never known that she had felt like this.  
  
Had never bothered to know that she felt like this.  
  
She had always just… Been there. An afterthought for him and the pack the majority of the time. He had never really understood until know what they were doing to Clara.  
  
He didn’t feel proud of himself at the moment.  
  
“Clara… I-I’m sorry.” He said softly.  
  
Clara sniffled, “Are you really? Are you really, Phil?”  
  
“I am. I…. I want to do better. Please put down the weapon.”  
  
Clara laughed, “Do I even have a choice?”  
  
Phil grimaced. “You do. But I’m hoping you make the right one.”  
  
Clara sighed and threw down her weapon, her whole body dropping to the forest floor alongside it.  
  
Phil dropped down to his knees next to her. “Clara-”  
  
“Please… Please leave me alone.”  
  
Phil shook his head, “I can’t Clara.”  
  
Clara let out a little sob, “Of course you can’t.”  
  
Phil shook his head and quickly scooped Clara into his arms, thanking all the gods in existence that she didn’t fight him.  
  
“It’s gonna be okay, Clara. I promise it will be.”  
  
Clara didn’t respond, just shoved her face into his neck and fell asleep.  
  
  
~  
Phil, his enforcers, and Fury were all huddled up in his office.  
  
“Nick, it was insane! If I had been anyone else, you would have a dead wolf laying here instead.” Phil raged. “You never once mentioned that she practically begged you to kill her!!!”  
  
Fury sighed and leaned back in his seat. “I was going to, I really was. But you were too young originally to have that saddled onto you. I decided to tell you when you were older about our young, tragic, Clara. However, you two drifted apart before I could. It was like you didn’t even inhabit the same space anymore. I decided it was better to wait until things mended between you two. In fact, I was planning to come over here and talk to you about it when you called me.”  
  
Phil shook his head and scraped his fingers through his hair. “Are you sure that she doesn’t remember anything from her past? She kept mentioning her whole life, her whole life, her whole life… and it didn’t sound like she just meant the last thirteen years.”  
  
Fury shook his shoulders, “I only know what she told me. If you want to know so much, why don’t you gain some balls and go ask your mated yourself? There’s not much this old wolf can do now, Alpha.”  
  
Phil growled at his uncle and dropped into the seat behind his desk. “Natasha?”  
  
“Yes, Alpha?”  
  
“I want you, Pepper, and a few other theta women to go to Clara. Make sure she’s alright. Get her washed up, and wearing something nice. Pack three nights worth of clothing in a bag.”  
  
Natasha frowned but nodded her head. “Yes alpha.”  
  
“Steve?”  
  
“Yes alpha?”  
  
“I want you, Bucky, and Tony to do in-depth research on Clara. See if you can find anything about her past.”  
  
“Yessir,” All three men said at once.  
  
“Thor? Bruce?”  
  
“Yes Alpha?”  
  
“I want you two stationed by my room until I tell you to leave. Thor on the outside window, Bruce at the door.”  
  
“Yes, sir.”  
  
Phil nodded. “Sam?”  
  
“Yes alpha?”  
  
“I know you just got back from your family pack visit, but I need your help with something of great importance.”  
  
Phil scribbled down something on a sheet of paper and handed it to the other male.  
  
Sam read it quickly and nodded. “This is no problem whatsoever.”  
  
“Thank you. You’re all dismissed.”  
  
The enforcers trickled out of the room until it was only he and Fury left.  
  
Fury looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Well?”  
  
Phil sighed and shook his head. “I’ve decided to woo the fuck out of Clara. We’re gonna try this mating thing for real, and hopefully get some truth out of Clara at last.”  
  
“That’s my boy. Knew you had it in you… Don’t wait too long to give me grandbabies, you hear?”  
  
Phil wrinkled his nose. “How did I know you were going to say that?”  
  
Fury just laughed in response.  
  
  
*******  
Clara was curled up on Phil’s bed when she was bombarded with pack bitches.  
  
“What do you want?” She croaked as the ripped the covers off of her.  
  
“Spa day!!” Pepper said in excitement.  
  
Clara gave her a look. “No.”  
  
“Too late, I already proclaimed it.”  
  
Clara shot Natasha a look. “Can you kill me?”  
  
“No. Come on. It’ll be fun, I promise.”  
  
“No, it won’t.”  
  
Natasha just smiled and lifted Clara off of the bed before the younger woman could scramble away.  
  
  
~  
Clara was pampered within an inch of her life. There was not a single part of her body that hadn’t been massaged, plucked, shaved, cleaned, lotion, made up, etc.  
  
She felt like a Barbie doll.  
  
“Why are you doing this?”  
  
Betty smiled and patted Clara’s cheek. “You deserve it.”  
  
“...and?”  
  
“And Phil wanted us to.”  
  
Clara snorted. “There it is. What, does he have some fancy party that he wants me to go to? The humans coming back so Clara needs to make nice?”  
  
Natasha shook her head. “No, he has something special planned for you two. Not exactly sure what he had planned, but it sounds damn romantic if you ask me.”  
  
Clara tilted her head. “You have a heart?”  
  
Natasha rolled her eyes and swatted at Clara. “Don’t be an ass. Come on, Phil is waiting.”  
  
“Oh, joy.”  
  
  
*******  
Phil smoothed down his tie and shuffled nervously back and forth.  
  
“Boss? Are you… Okay?”  
  
“Hmm? Yes? Yes, I am… Why?”  
  
Sam just shook his head. “You seem nervous. You’re never nervous… It’s about to make me nervous.”  
  
Phil shook his head. “Not nervous… Just… Apprehensive?”  
  
“About this going well and Clara not shooting you full of arrows, thus causing us to lose our Alpha with no formal beta in place, thus causing the collapse of our pack?”  
  
Phil shot Sam a look. “Yes, about that.”  
  
Sam waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it, alpha. Clara has been in love with you since the day she came in here. Honestly, I’m surprised it took you this long to mate her.”  
  
“What?”  
  
Sam snorted. “Sir, you are the most possessive wolf I have seen in my 32 years of life. How would she feel if she knew the reason she gets turned down for all those jobs is because of you? You and your jealousy over her being around other wolves. Or how you about flipped your shit when she wanted to go to the human town to work? Or how you lock her in her room every night for no reason”  
  
“Hey, there is a reason to keep her locked up!!”  
  
Sam raised an eyebrow, “But no defense for the other things?”  
  
Phil’s cheek ran hot. “There are perfectly valid reasons for all of those things.”  
  
“If the answer is anything other than ‘wolf angry that other men may sniff pretty girl’s butt,’ you a damn liar.”  
  
Phil groaned, “Sam. Shut up.”  
  
“Sure thing, alpha. Just don’t mess this up.” Sam stood up and slapped Phil on the shoulder. “She’s really fragile man.”  
  
“I know that.”  
  
Sam started to walk out of the room, “Then act like it!”  
  
Phil grimaced but wisely didn’t throw a book at the betas back like he wanted to.  
  
  
*******  
Clara was frog-marched down the stairs and over to Phil’s office.  
  
“I remember the last couple of times someone doing this, it didn’t end so well for me,” Clara muttered, trying her damnedest to dig her heels in.  
  
It didn’t work.  
  
“This time willl be fine, trust me,” Pepper said as they pushed Clara into Phil’s office and shut the door firmly behind her.  
  
Clara faced the door and stuck her tongue out at it, “Assholes.”  
  
“You didn’t like the spa day?”  
  
Clara turned around and wrapped her arms around her waist. “No… Not really.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“I’m not a big fan of people touching me.”  
  
Phil frowned, “I didn’t know that.”  
  
“There’s a lot of things you don’t know.”  
  
Phil stuck his hands in his pockets, “I’m becoming more aware of that by the minute. It’s something I would like to change.”  
  
Clara hummed, “Mmmkay.”  
  
Phil sighed and walked over to Clara. He looked gorgeous, by the way. Absolutely stunning. If he hadn’t already taken her virginity, she would have begged him to do so, because goddamn does he look good in that suit!”  
  
“What’s with the fancy get up?” Clara asked before Phil could get too close.  
  
“I want to get to know you better… In a more… uhm… private setting.”  
  
Clara raised an eyebrow, “The alpha house where we are the only two people living here isn’t private?”  
  
Phil shook his head. “No, it really isn’t. The whole pack practically storms through her every day. This is gonna be a place that’s just you and me. I guess I could phrase it as more… Neutral ground? I think that’s better phrasing.”  
  
Clara looked more confused than before. “Huh??”  
  
Phil sighed and lifted a hand up to rake through his hair. “Shit, I’m bad at this. I want to spend the weekend together as just Phil and Clara. Not the Alpha and human Clara, that make more sense?”  
  
“A little… Why?”  
  
“Because we’re mated.”  
  
“It was accidental.”  
  
“No. It wasn’t.”  
  
“.... Explain.”  
  
Phil stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Clara’s waist before she could think to move. “There are no accidentals matings Clara. There are only wolves who are smarter than their human counterparts.” Phil grimaced. “Mine is a lot smarter, apparently.”  
  
Clara shook her head and stepped out of Phil’s arms. “I don’t believe you. You’re only saying this so I’ll submit to whatever you have planned, and then you win and I’m back to being thrown by the wayside.’  
  
“No.”  
  
Clara shot Phil a look. “I knew she was in love with me, why do you think I ignored her?” She said snippily.  
  
Phil’s took a sharp breath in. “You heard that conversation.”  
  
“Oh, I heard that conversation, Phillip. So don’t try and be all Mr. Good Wolf now, okay?”  
  
Phil groaned. “It’s not an act Clara! Give me a chance, please.”  
  
“When have any of you ever given me a chance?” Clara snapped.  
  
Phil sighed. “You’re right. I-i’m sorry… But please, let me make this right.”  
  
Clara ground her jaw and looked at Phil. The man truly looked dejected, his damn puppy dog eyes made her feel practically guilty for standing up for herself. “Jesus, fine. Tell me what you have planned.”  
  
Phil’s head shot up. “What?”  
  
“You have 30 seconds to wow me.”  
  
Phil smiled, “Two words. Human town.”  
  
“... Goddammit”  
  
  
*******  
Phil watched in fond amusement as Clara’s eyes went wide in wonderment as they traveled through the human town. Pack members very seldom went into the human town, so this was a very rare treat for both of them.  
  
Obviously more so for Clara than Phil.  
  
“Where are we going?” Clara asked as they sped past the main parts of the town.  
  
“I’ve booked a hotel room for the both of us, and dinner in an Italian restaurant down the road from it. We can explore the city tomorrow if that’s okay?”  
  
Clara shot him a grin, “That’s wonderful.”  
  
Phil’s heart went pitter patter in his chest. “Great.”  
  
  
*******  
Clara was loathed to admit it, but she had had a wonderful night with Phil. It was like being transported back in time to when he had cared about her. He had been attentive, caring, funny, gentle, sexy, and so many more adjectives that Clara couldn’t think of right now.  
  
“I uh… can take the couch if you want?” Phil said as they entered their hotel room.  
  
Clara dropped her purse, “No, it’s fine. That couch is like a foot shorter than you are.”  
  
Phil laughed, “Yeah… But I don’t want to pressure you into anything you don’t want.”  
  
Clara shot him a look. “Well, it’s kinda too late for chivalry Phillip. So, unless I say anything first, don’t worry about it. Unzip me?”  
  
Clara turned her back to Phil and raised up her hair. She felt Phil press closer against her as he slowly undid the zip on the back of her dress.  
  
Clara felt his knuckles brush over her spine, and couldn’t help but shudder in pleasure.  
  
“Did I catch your skin?”  
  
“Uh… nope. No, you’re good.”  
  
Clara quickly stepped away and went to the bathroom to change into her pajamas. When she came back out, Phil had also changed and was lounging on the bed flipping through the tv channels.  
  
Clara flopped down next to him. “Anything good?”  
  
Phil shook his head. “Not really. It’s all standard antenna crap. Hoping I can at least find an old rerun of Super Nanny.”  
  
Clara groaned, “You still watch that??”  
  
“It’s quality television!”  
  
“Oh my _goddddddd_ ”  
  
“Well okay Ms. Thing, what do you want to watch?”  
  
Clara grabbed the remote from his hand and quickly scrolled through the channels. “Aha!! Dog Cops!”  
  
Now it was Phil’s turn to groan. “And this is better how??”  
  
“Because dogs… are cops…”  
  
Phil rolled his eyes and tried to grab the remote out of her hands. “No way”  
  
Clara moved her arm out of his reach, “Nuh-uh Phil. I’m not watching no bratty children for the next two hours.”  
  
Phil leaned over, “Give me the remote!”  
  
“NEVER!!”  
  
Clara tried to leap from the bed, but Phil grabbed her around the waist and began to wrestle her for the remote. The jostled around the bed for a few minutes, until Phil was able to pin Clara’s arms beneath his hands.  
  
“Ha! I win..” He boasted.  
  
Clara’s cheeks were flushed, “Uhm… Yeah.”  
  
Phil tilted his head in confusion for a moment, before realizing the position that they were in. Phil was between Clara’s thighs, his body pressed tight against her own. “Oh… Let me just-”  
  
Clara’s legs wrapped around his back. “Fuck me”  
  
Phil blinked, “Pardon?”  
  
“Fuck me, Phil. Hard.”  
  
What was he gonna do? Say no?  
  
  
*******  
Clara screamed.  
  
Phil let out a satisfied growl, his tongue flicking against Clara’s clit as she writhed beneath him.  
  
Clara’s hands were buried in his hair. “Oh fuck Phil! Yes, right there!!!”  
  
Phil scraped his teeth once more over his clit and crawled back up her body. “Gonna fuck you hard.”  
  
Clara wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t believe you.”  
  
Phil growled, “Don’t challenge me, Clara.”  
  
Clara’s fingers scratched at his neck. “I don’t believe you can fuck me hard.”  
  
Phil growled again as he lifted up her hips and thrust inside her.  
  
“Yes!!!” She screeched.  
  
“Still think I can’t fuck you hard?” Phil asked between thrusts.  
  
Clara moaned, her legs wrapping around his waist. “Oh god, you can do whatever you want.”  
  
Phil grinned, “You bet your ass I can.” Leaning over, Phil bit back down on the mating mark.  
  
“Fuck!” Clara yelled as she orgasmed around Phil’s cock.  
  
Phil looked back up at her, his thrusts quickening in preparation for his own climax. “You’re mine!”  
  
Clara groaned in agreement, her fingers clawing at Phil’s back.  
  
“Say it, Clara. Say it!”  
  
“I’m yours!!”  
  
Phil slammed into her one last time, climaxing inside her as he howled for everyone to hear.  
  
The Alpha had claimed his mate.  
  
~  
Clara giggled as she curled her fingers through Phil’s chest hair. “Did you have to growl?”  
  
“Yes. Everyone had to know that you were claimed.”  
  
“Yeah, well everyone is gonna know we were having loud monkey sex, and are gonna complain to management.”  
  
Phil waved a hand, “Fuck ‘em.”  
  
Clara rolled her eyes. “Fine, you deal with the angry suburban mothers. I’ll be enjoying my shopping trip at the mall.”  
  
“Shopping trip?”  
  
“Mhmm. I haven’t had new clothes in about 5 years.”  
  
“Oh… Shopping it is. Can I come?”  
  
Clara lifted her head up and looked at him, “Do you want to?”  
  
“Can I watch you change clothes?”  
  
“Ugh. Typical wolf.”  
  
“That wasn’t an answer though.”  
  
Clara yawned and placed her head back down on his chest. “I’ll think about it. Don’t piss me off and it may be a yes.”  
  
“Sounds good to me.”  
  
“Sleep now.”  
  
“Yes, ma’am.”  
  
  
*******  
Phil was astounded at how much shopping one female could do in a center day.  
  
“Okay, I think I’m done,” Clara said after a couple of hours.  
  
Phil grimaced, “Not quite.”  
  
Clara raised an eyebrow, “Oh?”  
  
“Well… I received word that Pierce would like to have another gala…”  
  
Clara’s expression dropped. “Oh.”  
  
“So… Dress shopping?”  
  
Clara hummed. “Alright…”  
  
“Thank you, Clara.”  
  
~  
“Oh for the love of god Phil, you never cared this much before!”  
  
Phil growled at a warning at a nearby male associate ogling Clara, before turning his attention back to her. “Yes, I did.”  
  
“No you didn’t, I would have noticed”  
  
Phil humphed and shifted his weight when Clara tried to move again. She was dressed in a slip of a dress, and he’ll be damned if any other male sees her in it beside him. It was a territorial move, but wolves were territorial over their mates. End of story.  
  
“I made sure you didn’t. Now take the dress off Clara!”  
  
Clara pouted and looked up at Phil. “But I like this dress, what’s wrong with it.”  
  
Phil groaned, wondering once again why he and his wolf had fallen for such a contrary little human. “Everyone can see everything. I’m not fighting every male who dares look at you, there will be no humans or pack members left afterward.”  
  
Clara rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m trying on one more dress, and if you don’t like this one, then I’m going naked.”  
  
“Clara!!”  
  
Clara patted Phil’s cheek as she stepped back into the dressing room, not bothered in the least by his anger.  
  
Phil rubbed at his face, “You’re gonna make me go bald.”  
  
Clara wisely didn’t respond, but he could hear her soft laughter coming from the inside of the stall.  
  
He would punish her later for it, that was for certain.  
  
  
*******  
Clara had thought that their weekend away would have been a turning point in their relationship. She really did.  
  
For the most part, everything stayed the same. Clara was ignored during the day, ate her meals with Phil, and then was locked in the bedroom at night. Though now, she really couldn’t say she was locked in. She just had a horny and persistent Alpha wolf intent on having his wicked way with her every night. She really couldn’t complain about that, Phil was amazing in bed.  
  
But she was beginning to resent the rest of it. What was the point of having Phil every night, if she was treated like garbage every day?  
  
Okay, Clara was exaggerating a little. There was definitely more respect for her coming from the betas since Phil and she had mated, and of course, Phil was more attentive…. But honestly, they hadn’t been the true problem, to begin with. It was everyone else that she had a problem with. The ones that believed she was nothing to them since she couldn’t get hairy as quick as they could.  
  
“I bet if I stopped shaving I could be a werewolf in about ten years,” Clara mumbled to herself as she browsed through the neighborhood market. The cashier at the front desk kept eyeing her as she walked down the aisles, almost like she was expecting Clara to steal something. Never mind the fact that the cashier was Mrs. Wiggins, who had known Clara since she was still in training bras, but whatever. Not Clara’s problem at this point.  
  
Sighing at the lack of feminine products (lady wolves didn’t get their periods, they just got a week of uncontrollable lust, luckies), Clara made sure to remind herself to order some online when her monthly came soon.  
  
“Bye Mrs. Wiggins, it was a pleasure talking to you!” Clara sing-songed as she paid for her purchases, the older lady merely grunting in response.  
  
  
*******  
Phil panted as he lay on top of Clara, completely spent from their latest bout of lovemaking.  
  
Wolves had a naturally high sex drive, but damn did Clara have him worn out. Phil kissed her shoulder, “That was amazing.”  
  
Clara hummed noncommittally and wiggled her way out from underneath him. Flopping onto his back, Phil watched in silence as Clara sat up and flung her legs over the side of the bed. “I need a shower”  
  
Phil smiled, “Okay. I need one too.”  
  
“Alone”  
  
Phil raised an eyebrow, “Alone? That doesn’t sound like you.”  
  
Clara sighed and turned to his face. “Doesn’t it? I’ll be back in ten minutes.”  
  
Phil frowned as Clara shuffled off to the bathroom. He waited until he heard the shower kick on before following her in. “Okay, what’s going on.”  
  
Clara flicked a look at him over her shoulder as she stepped into the stall. “Nothing. Can’t a girl want to shower in peace every once in a while?”  
  
Phil followed her into the stall, despite her protests. “Sure. But not you…. What has you upset? You can talk to me you know... “  
  
Clara sighed, “I don’t think you want to know.”  
  
“I do.”  
  
“Fine. I hate being your convenient fuck toy. Happy?”  
  
Phil’s head jerked back. “Woah, where did that come from?”  
  
Clara shook her head. “Nowhere. Forget I said anything, I’m just getting close to my monthly and my hormones are all over the place.”  
  
Phil wrapped his arms around her waist. “Hormones or not, this sounds like something that has been bothering you for a while. You’re not some convenient thing I come home to and have sex with, Clara. You’re my mate.”  
  
Clara sighed and dropped her head onto his chest. “I know that you know that. You’re betas know that. But nobody else does.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“I’m working on it.”  
  
“Are you really?”  
  
Phil nodded and kissed her hair, “Trust me. Would a man who gives you 5 orgasms in one night lie?”  
  
Clara rolled her eyes, “Your prowess in bed does nothing for me. But I know from previous experience that you may be a dick, but you don’t lie.”  
  
“Thank you…. wait.”  
  
Clara laughed, “Get out of my shower. You’re distracting me from getting clean.”  
  
Phil growled, “I’ll show you a distraction.”  
  
  
*******  
“Thank you again, sweets.”  
  
Clara an eyebrow, “For?”

  
“For helping me out at this gala.”  
  
“Did I have a choice?”  
  
Phil pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Nope. Now go get dressed, I’ll see you later tonight.”  
  
Clara wrinkled her nose. “Asswipe.”  
  
Phil laughed and walked away, “Guess that makes you Mrs. Asswipe!”  
  
Clara blew a raspberry and went to go get ready.  
  
  
~  
“We meet again,” Pierce said with a smile later that night.  
  
Clara gave him a small smile in return, wishing Phil was next to her, and she was able to press against him. Pierce may be a human, like her, but that didn’t make her feel any better about the man. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was something about him she did not like.  
  
Maybe it was the way he reminded her of her mentors. Definitely, the way he mentioned Barney. But there was something else wrong with him too, something a little more sinister than petty larceny and cat burglary.  
  
“We do indeed, Mr. Pierce.”  
  
“Oh no need for formalities, you can call me Alexander.”  
  
Clara shifted from foot-to-foot, clearly uncomfortable. “Okay…. Alexander.”  
  
The older man smiled and lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a quick kiss to the back. “You look lovely tonight Clara, have I mentioned that yet?”  
  
“Uhm...no. You haven’t” Clara gently pulled her hand from his grasp and cast her gaze around for Phil.  
  
“Your host seems to have caught the attention of a lady friend. We should let them be, I can talk business later.”  
  
Clara frowned up at Pierce for a moment, but then followed his gaze and realized he was right. Phil was wrapped around an omega bitch, the female practically dry humping him for everyone to see.  
  
“It seems he’s not in a business mindset right now.” Clara sniffed and carefully turned her back on the scene. “Would you like a drink Mr. Pi-Alexander?”  
  
“I would love one.”  
  
  
~  
Phil pushed himself away from the omega bitch clawing at him. “I don’t know where in the hell you get off Amaretta, but you have no right to climb all over me!”  
  
The girl pouted, “Why are you yelling Phil? It’s not the first time we’ve been together. You never said no before, besides I know you haven’t had any in weeks.”  
  
Amaretta tried to step closer to Phil, but he pushed her back once more. “Stop. Before I get angry.”  
  
“Ugh, Fine. I was only trying to help.” The girl stomped away.  
  
“Herself maybe,” Bucky said as he walked up to Phil.  
  
Phil grunted in agreement, “Damn. I feel dirty.”  
  
Bucky chuckled, “Yeah. Though it’s about to get worse.”  
  
“Oh, no…. What?”  
  
Bucky turned Phil around and pointed to where Clara was slamming down shots, a group of human men surrounding her.  
  
Phil growled, “What in the hell is she doing?”  
  
“No clue man, but you probably need to go stop it.”  
  
Phil clenched his teeth and stormed towards her, not even bothering to answer Bucky.  
  
“Clara!” He raged.  
  
  
~  
Clara was smashed. Unused to harder liquors, she was 3 shots in, and 3 sheets to the wind.  
  
She deserved to be drunk though. If Phil can cheat on her with some skank wolf, then she can get drunk with the humans.  
  
“Clara!!” She heard Phil yell.  
  
Clara giggled, “Uh oh boys. I guess I’m in trouble.”  
  
One of the boys that were too her immediate right lifted Clara’s hand and pressed a kiss to it.  “We can protect you from that man Ms. Clara.”  
  
That made her giggle again. _What is it with humans and hand kisses?_ “He’s not a man silly, he’s my Phil!”  
  
“Clara!!” Phil yelled again, closer this time.  
  
Clara sighed and pouted, “Okay boys. Give me some space so I can talk to him.”  
  
The crowd parted in half, allowing Clara to drunkenly skip over to Phil. “What?” She slurred.  
  
Phil’s nostrils flared as he grabbed her wrist and began to drag her out of the room. “Not here.”  
  
Clara tried to dig in her heels but was too drunk to do any damage. “Phiilllll, you’re hurting me!”  
  
Phil growled in her direction and kept dragging her until they were inside his office. Slamming the door closed behind him, Phil shoved Clara into a chair.  
  
Clara glared up at Phil. “Rude!!!”  
  
“Rude?! _I’m_ rude?? Clara, you’re drunk and embarrassing me!”  
  
“Well you cheated on me, so fuck you!”  
  
  
~  
Phil froze. “Oh no.”  
  
“Oh yeah.” Clara stumbled to her feet, swaying back and forth. “I fucking saw you with that omega bitch, Amaretta? Yeah, I think I can recall several occasions where she was screaming your name at night.”  
  
Phil groaned and rushed over to Clara. “It wasn’t like that, I swear. She came onto me, and I had to struggle to get her off. You’re the only one I want to be with, believe me.”  
  
Clara frowned and continued to sway. “Why should I?”  
  
“Because we’re mates…Together for life?”  
  
“Oh. Well, I’m still mad.”  
  
Phil sighed and wrapped her in his arms, “Me too. But we can get over it, right?”  
  
Clara tipped her head up to look at him, and adorable pout on her face. “Why are you mad?”  
  
“You’re drunk.”  
  
“I had 3 shots.”  
  
“You had all those males around you”  
  
Clara blinked, “Oh. You’re jealous”  
  
“Am not!”  
  
She gave him a drunken smile. “Me too”  
  
Phil smiled in return. “Good, but you’re still getting punished.”  
  
“Dangit”  
  
  
*******  
Clara had been expecting a punishment, but it hadn’t been this.  
  
“Seven!” Clara moaned as Phil spanked her again.  
  
“That was six, do you want me to start over?”  
  
Clara bit her lip and looked back at up at him. She nodded.  
  
Phil gave her a wicked grin. “No”  
  
“Phiiilllll!” She whined.  
  
“Why would I give you what you want? This is a punishment.”  
  
Clara pouted and stuck her ass a little higher in the air. “You suck.”  
  
“So do you, take your punishment like a good girl.”  
  
“Fine.”  
  
  
~  
Clara walked a little funny the next day, but it had been worth it.  
  
“You got a wedgie?” Bucky asked her as she passed by him, knowing full well why she was walking like that.  
  
Clara just threw him a wink and a bird and kept on walking.  
  
“I bet she got punished!” One of the omegas bitches whispered to another. Clara knew they were both cleaners in the household, and obviously hated Clara for being there.  
  
“Oh, I agree.” The other whispered back. “Shame he didn’t make this one public.”  
  
Clara rolled her eyes; bitches would be bitches.  
  
“Bucky, can you drive me into town? I ordered some things and they’re ready for pick up.”  
  
Bucky nodded, “Sure. You just waddle your way outside and I’ll meet ya with the car.”  
  
“Thanks…. Jerk.”  
  
Bucky laughed and left Clara to waddle her outside.  
  
“Can’t believe she’s so insolent towards a beta.” The bitch whispered to the other. “She should be punished for that too.”  
  
The other bitch giggled. “That’s a punishment I would like to see.”  
  
Clara shook her head and closed the door behind her, those two were not worth her time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (( You can prompt me if you wish for other fics, or for any ideas you may have about this fic at [ Hellogoodbye](http://hellogoodbye741.tumblr.com/ask) ))


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens, things get better... then worse... then better! But then a whole lot worse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I can say from the bottom of my heart is, my bad

Bucky slowed to a stop at the post office. “So what did you order, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Clara wrinkled her nose. “Tampons and pads… Girly stuff”  
  
“Ew, gross. I forgot you human women bleed every month. I’ll stay in the car”  
  
Clara rolled her eyes, “Never had any doubt about it.”  
  
  
~  
Phil sat at the head of the conference table and listened intently to Pierce and his cronies try to sell why Phil and his pack should join their group.  
  
Pierce finished up the last of the presentation and gave Phil a grin. “So, what do you think?”  
  
“I think I have a lot of thinking to do. This merger would certainly be of benefit to my group.”  
  
“As would it be to my business. But, of course, we’ll give you time to think… until the next gala event?”  
  
Phil nodded his head, “Yes. That should work.”  
  
“Now where is Clara, if I may ask?” Pierce smiled. “I was under the impression she would be here.”  
  
“She had to go into town and pick up some groceries.”  
  
“Ah. Well hopefully she will return shortly, so we may give her our regards.”  
  
Phil gave the older man a tight smile, knowing what had happened the last time the man had given Clara his regards.  
  
“Of course… It’s always a pleasure to see Clara meet… new people..”  
  
  
*******  
Bucky pulled out one of the tampons and looked at it. “So what does it do?”  
  
“It goes up a vagina to stop bleeding.”  
  
Bucky dropped the stick like a hot potato and glared at it. “Gross”  
  
“No shit, Sherlock. Being a human female sucks.”  
  
“Yeah… I’m glad to be a wolf… and have a penis.”  
  
Clara rolled her eyes, “I’m sure you being glad over your penis isn’t just for lack of menses.”  
  
Bucky gave her a grin and winked. “Home now?”  
  
“If we must.”  
  
“Oh we must, your people are here.”  
  
Clara groaned, “Not them again. That guy gives me the creeps.”  
  
“Who? Pierce?”  
  
“Yes. There something about him that just screams old pervy evil dude.”  
  
Bucky frowned, “Have you told Phil?”  
  
“Of course not. He’s trying to make a deal for the better of the pack, or whatever. I’m not ruining it.”  
  
Bucky shook his head. “Tell Phil, seriously.”  
  
Clara looked at him and narrowed his eyes, “Why?”  
  
“Stevie and I are getting some not so good vibes from these guys. Phil is on the fence too. You giving your opinion would help greatly.”  
  
Clara pursed her lips, “Would Phil listen to me?”  
  
“Definitely.”  
  
“...I’ll think about it.”  
  
Bucky sighed and started the engine. “At least you’re thinking about it, let’s get home.”  
  
“Whatever you say, big guy.”

  
  
********  
Phil was leading the group of the house when Bucky and Clara arrived.  
  
“Ah, there she is! I had hopes that she would arrive soon.”  
  
Phil grumbled under his breath as the older man trotted down the steps and over to Clara.  
  
“My dear! How good it is to see you!” Pierce raised one of Clara’s hands and pressed a kiss to it.  
  
Phil had to stop himself from growling.  
  
Clara gave the older man a smile, before shooting Phil a look.  
  
“Pierce, if you would forgive me for whisking Clara away from you so soon, but she is tired from her shopping trip and needs to put away her purchases.”  
  
“Of course! No matter, we shall talk again at the gala, yes?”  
  
Clara looked at Phil again, “Uh… Yes.”  
  
“Perfect, see you then my dear.”  
  
Clara nodded at him and hurried up the steps towards Phil.  
  
“You’re welcome” He whispered to her as she passed.  
  
Clara smiled and ducked her head as she went inside.  
  
Phil waved goodbye to the humans once more and watched as they got into their vehicles and drove off his property. While this happened, Bucky had parked the car he had been driving and had come to stand next to him.  
  
“Talk to Clara about Pierce.”  
  
Phil looked at Bucky. “Pardon?”  
  
“You should talk to Clara about Pierce. You may appreciate the opinion she has about him.”  
  
Phil tilted his head but then nodded. “I believe you may be right. Thank you Bucky, you can go home if you want.”  
  
“Will do Alpha, see you later.”  
  
Phil waved a hand and followed Clara inside.  
  
  
~  
Clara was bending down to grab some laundry that she hadn’t picked up earlier when she felt arms wrap around her waist.  
  
“This is a nice way to enter a room. “ Phil said from behind her.  
  
Clara rolled her eyes and stood up, smacking her hand back against Phil’s chest. “Don’t be a dork. Don’t you have men to schmooze?”  
  
Phil spun Clara around and smiled down at her. “Nope. Schmoozing is all done. But I do have a question for you.”  
  
Clara narrowed her eyes and leaned back in Phil’s arms. “What kind of question?”  
  
“Pierce. What’s your opinion on him?”  
  
Clara groaned and broke away from him, “You’ve been talking to Bucky.”  
  
“I have. So what’s your opinion?”  
  
Clara shook her head and scooped up the discarded laundry. “I have some stuff to do.”  
  
Phil grabbed Clara’s arm before she could walk away. “Opinion.”  
  
“Don’t push me, Phillip. You’re not my alpha.”  
  
Phil growled, “Opinion.”  
  
“Fine!” Clara shouted and dropped her laundry to the floor. “He creeps me out, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?”  
  
“No.” Phil scooped Clara into his arms. “But I needed to hear it.”  
  
  
*******  
“Don’t look at me like that Clara.”  
  
Clara sniffed, “I’m not looking at you like anything Phillip.”  
  
Phil rolled his eyes. “You’re upset because I still haven’t introduced you as my mate. Trust me, it’s coming.”  
  
Clara shot him a cool glance. “When? The day you transfer the alpha title to our child?”  
  
“Don’t be dramatic. At their birth will be fine - oh I was joking!!”  
  
Clara shot him yet another look, “I don’t think you were.”  
  
Clara left the room and slammed the door behind her.  
  
Phil sighed, “This gala is gonna _suck_.”  
  
  
~  
Phil stepped into the ballroom and immediately began to search out Clara.  
  
“She’s on the other side, very pissed off,” Natasha said as she stepped up to his side. “I advise you to go grovel, but grab some flowers first.”  
  
“I’m an alpha, I shouldn’t _have_ to grovel!”  
  
Natasha snorted. “Okay, say that to your empty bed tonight.”  
  
Phil sighed, “Fine. Can you grab me some lavenders from the garden? They’re her favorite.”  
  
“Sure thing, alpha.”  
  
“Thanks.”  
  
“Phillip!”  
  
Phil tried not to grimace as Pierce came closer. “Pierce, nice to see you.”  
  
The older man smiled and offered his hand, which Phil reluctantly shook.  
  
“You as well” Pierce stepped back and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Have you decided on our deal.”  
  
“I have. But I believe we should enjoy the night first.”  
  
“As do I. I also believe the extra time will allow me to keep persuading you towards my side. There is someone I would like you to meet.”  
  
Phil raised an eyebrow, already knowing the tidbit of information would not change his mind.  
  
“Yes, I have mentioned him in passing before. I believe it was at the first gala. Marvelous man, hard worker. I believe you two will get along.”  
  
Pierce looked at Phil with a twinkle in his eye, and Phil just knew this was not going to end well.  
  
“Lead away.”  
  
“Oh, I will. But first, let’s find the lovely Clara, I believe they should meet too.”  
  
Yeah. Definitely not gonna go well.  
  
  
~  
Clara was trying very hard to ignore Phil at the gala. She was mad that he was still treating her like an embarrassment, and was obviously lying about telling everyone of their mating.  
  
It had been 3 months for fuck’s sake. How hard is it to tell the wolves???  
  
“Clara!!”  
  
Clara groaned internally and turned to face Pierce, who was practically dragging 2 people behind him.  
  
One she recognized as Phil, the jerk. The other one seemed familiar too, but she couldn’t place from where.  
  
“Hello, Alexander.”  
  
“Tis a pleasure to see you again my dear. You look stunning, as always. I’d like to introduce you and Phil to this lively young man here. Phil and Clara - Barney Barton.”  
  
Oh shit.  
  
  
~  
Phil remembered the last time Pierce had mentioned Barney Barton’s name. The reaction from Clara this time was much worse.  
  
The color seemed to leak from her face as she got tense all over.  
  
“Clara, you say?” Barney gave them all a slimy smile. “I had a sister named Clara, she ran away when she was 13. She didn’t appreciate the life she had.”  
  
“That’s a lie!” Clara hissed before stomping away.  
  
“What in the world?”  
  
Phil looked at the two men. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we will be taking the deal. Please enjoy the festivities for the rest of the evening and see yourselves out afterward. Goodnight.”  
  
“Wait, what-”  
  
Phil didn’t stay and listen to their babbling, he had a mate to go catch.  
  
  
~  
She couldn’t believe it.  
  
First, she had a shit life with humans, then she had a shit life with the wolves. Now that things were sort of okay with the wolves, her shit life from the humans was coming back to haunt her.  
  
Running towards the woods, Clara couldn’t help as the tears slid down her cheeks, her vision blurring.  
  
Suddenly, she tripped over a rock and went down to her knees.  
  
“Clara!”  
  
Clara sniffed as Phil reached her side and gently flipped her over so she was sitting up. “Are you alright???? Let me see your hands and knees.”  
  
Clara sniffed and let Phil manhandle her until he was satisfied that she was okay.  
  
“Okay…. Care to tell me what that was?”  
  
Clara sniffed and shook her head.  
  
“Are you doing that because you really don’t want to talk about it… Or is it because you’re crying really hard?”  
  
Clara sniffed again and held up 2 fingers.  
  
Phil smiled and pressed a kiss to Clara’s temple. “I’m gonna lift you up and bring you upstairs, okay?”  
  
Clara nodded, and up she went into his arms.  
  
Pressing her head against Phil’s shoulder, Clara closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of being carried.  
  
  
~  
Phil felt Clara relax against his chest as he carried her. He didn’t understand everything that had gone on tonight, but he was definitely going to figure it out.  
  
“Clara?” He asked softly once they were back in the bedroom.  
  
Clara looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes, “Yeah?” She croaked.  
  
“Are you ready to talk now.”  
  
“No… but I will.”  
  
Phil set Clara down on the bed and then sat down next to her. “I’m all ears.”  
  
Clara sniffed and at up, wrapping her arms around her knees. “I lied.”  
  
“About?”  
  
“Not remembering.”  
  
Phil frowned, “Huh?”  
  
“When I got here. I said I didn’t remember anything, but I lied. I remember everything those assholes did to me.”  
  
“Who?”  
  
“My parents. Barney. Everyone.” Clara spat.  
  
“What did they do?” Phil asked softly, his hand reaching out to stroke her hair.  
  
“Beat me. Starved me. Hated me. Made me work for nothing...I think a better list would be what _didn’t_ they do.”  
  
Phil’s hand froze in her hair. “What.”  
  
“Don’t make me repeat it, we’ll both just get upset.”  
  
Phil moved off the bed, “Oh god. I was acting just like them!”  
  
Clara looked over at him and rolled her eyes. “God, you’re being dramatic.”  
  
“Clara! I could have traumatized you even further!! Why didn’t you say anything?”  
  
“What would it have changed?”  
  
“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t have been so harsh.”  
  
“Yeah okay. Whatever.”  
  
“Clara” Phil warned.  
  
“Anyway, can we get off the subject? You’re pissing me off during sad time.”  
  
“During what?”  
  
“I was just upset and you’re ruining it.”  
  
Phil shot her a look. “Now who’s being dramatic.”  
  
Clara pouted, “I’m allowed to be Phil.”  
  
“Shit.”  
  
“Just sit down and comfort me asshole.”  
  
“Yes, ma’am.”  
  
Phil sat down and cuddled Clara against his chest. “I kicked them all out.”  
  
“Good. I never want to see Barney’s stupid fucking face ever again.”  
  
  
*******  
Clara spent the night curled up in Phil’s arms, telling him stories of the life she had before the pack. She talked so much that she eventually went hoarse.  
  
It was the greatest night of her life, Barney and co excluded.  
  
To finally get all the bullshit from her childhood off her chest was such a freeing feeling. It about made her feel lighter than air.  
  
She and Phil eventually fell asleep around dawn, only rousing when Tony came banging on the door.  
  
“Wakey, wakey!!! The world has started once more and you two are missing it!!”  
  
“Fuck off!” Both she and Phil said in unison.  
  
“Creepy. Lunch is ready, by the way. Get a move on love birds!”  
  
Clara groaned and looked at Phil. “Can we murder him?”  
  
“I’m thinking about it.”  
  
“Yayyyyyyy” Clara said as she pulled the covers higher and closed her eyes again.  
  
Phil chuckled, “Oh no you don’t.” Reaching down, Phil ripped the sheets from her. “If I have to get up - so do you.”  
  
“Noooooooo!”  
  
“I can get Thor to dump you in the riv-”  
  
Clara jumped out of bed. “I’m up!”  
  
Phil laughed and offered her his hand. “Let’s go shower and waste some time.”  
  
“Mmmm okay.”  
  
  
~  
“Well, it took you guys long enough.” Bucky teased as soon as they entered the dining room.  
  
“Don’t tease them Bucky,” Bruce said as he walked back with a platter of sandwiches.  
  
“Thank you, Bruce,” Clara said as she sat down.  
  
“Yeah, we all know they’re making the next alpha heir - in as many places as possible. Treat that with some respect.” Bruce continued with a snicker.  
  
Clara gave him a mock gasp. “Et Tu Bruce?”  
  
“Enough guys,” Phil said as he sat down. “No fights at the lunch table.”  
  
“Yes alpha,” Everyone said with fake solemness, causing Phil to sigh.  
  
“So who had the pleasure of escorting Pierce out last night?” Clara asked when everyone had sat down.  
  
“Me!! It was awesome.” Steve answered with a grin.  
  
“Were they rowdy?”  
  
“No. Unfortunately.”  
  
Clara wrinkled her nose. “Oh well, I’m sure you’ll get another chance to punch someone.”  
  
“I sure hope so.”  
  
“Enough talk, let’s eat!” Thor said as he began to dig in.  
  
Everyone looked at him.  
  
“I have not eaten since last night, sue me.”  
  
Natasha let out a snort, “Go ahead and dig in then. Everyone here is hungry.”  
  
No one argues with Natasha, so everyone began to eat.  
  
  
*******  
Clara and Phil’s relationship grew stronger after that night.  
  
There were times when Clara was still upset that Phil had not claimed her in front of the pack, but those times were few and far between.  
  
They spent most days together, and definitely most nights. There were even times when Phil asked Clara for her opinion on pack issues.  
  
The start of the relationship hadn’t been the best, but Clara had to admit she was incredibly happy.  
  
The feeling didn’t last long.  
  
Clara was out for her daily walk while Phil worked when everything came crashing down.  
  
Clara had been walking past her and Phil’s window when she noticed something was off.  
  
Stepping closer, Clara noticed 2 shadows entwined in the bedroom.  
  
“Who the fuck?” She muttered to herself. Clara quickly headed inside and went up the steps to the bedroom.  
  
“If one of those omega bitches is having sex with a delta in our bedroom Phil is gonna lose his shit,” Clara muttered once more as she slowly opened the door.  
  
It wasn’t an omega and delta… It was fucking Phil and the omega bitch from the gala.  
  
Both were naked and standing incredibly close to the bed, making out.  
  
Clara felt tears start to pool in her eyes. “I fucking knew it.” She whispered as she quickly closed the door and ran down the steps, and then out of the house.  
  
Clara knew that the gardens were crawling with betas, so Clara escaped out the front doors and down the driveway.  
  
The tears were streaming down her face in a steady stream, it was heavy enough that she was having a hard time seeing where she was going.  
  
She was also so distraught to notice what danger she was in.  
  
Reaching the end of the drive, Clara took a deep shuddering breath as a black SUV came barreling toward her.  
  
She only just noticed something was headed to her when she was hit, knocking her out cold.  
  
  
*******  
Phil pushed Amaretta away from him. “How fucking _dare_ you!”  
  
Amaretta pouted. “Why are you so angry Phil? You know you want me.”  
  
Phil’s nostrils flared. “Get out before I rip your heart out.”  
  
“Phil, you don’t-”  
  
“NOW!!!” Phil roared.  
  
Amaretta quickly grabbed her clothes and scampered from the room.  
  
Phil shuddered. “God I feel disgusting. I hope Clara didn’t see any of that. I need a fucking shower.”  
  
Shaking his head, Phil let out another shudder as he headed for the shower.  
  
He would tell Clara about this as soon as he felt clean again.  
  
~  
Phil was in the process of getting out of the shower, when the bathroom door was slammed open, three of his betas spilling into the room.  
  
“What the hell?!”  
  
“They’ve got Clara!” Tony screeched.  
  
  
*******  
Clara woke up with a groan, and the first thing she noticed her body was littered with pain. The second thing she noticed was that she was tied up, and was currently in what seemed to be a trunk.  
  
“What the fuucckkkkk”


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clara meets some new friends in an unlikely place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, this took a while? and it's a short chapter too? My b

Clara knew her sneakiness would be good for something. After the guards shoved all the girls into their broom cupboards for the night Clara enacted her plan. She was lucky to have been given the chance earlier in the day when she had been using the ‘bathroom’ to shut off the cameras in front of her door. It was also extremely fortunate that Pierce didn’t force their bodies into slumber at nighttime.

  
  


Stalking along the hall, Clara began to turn off every camera she could. She laughed to herself at how easy it was. You’d think for such a high tech facility and how complicated the collars were they would have something a little more complicated than an ‘of/off’ switch. They didn’t even lock the broom cupboards. Even Phil had locked her room at night.

 

“Morons.”

 

Clara clicked off the last camera in the hall and slipped into the cafeteria. She knew all the guards congregated in here instead of patrolling after overhearing a particularly stupid guard talk about it.

  
  


*******

Pierce must have a high ego because it appeared only three guards were working in general. Clara looked at the clock, 11:50, just enough to clear out the riff-raff before the girls arrived.

 

If the girls arrived.

 

“Hello boys, shall we play a game?”

  
  


*******

“Is there a reason you’re up here?” Came a quiet voice right behind Phil.

 

Phil turned on the tree limb he was perched on and gave Steve a wry grin. “I was hoping that being up high, I might be able to see anything going on.”

 

“And have you been able to?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then come down, we brought food.”

 

Phil frowned, “Did you hunt?”

 

“Nah, Tony found the one Chinese take out place in all of bumfuck. Go figure.”

 

Phil sighed and shook his head, “I’ll be down in a minute… Don’t let Thor eat all the spring rolls”

 

“Alright put some aside for you Alpha. See you in a bit.”

 

“Thanks”

 

Steve gave Phil a small wave and climbed back down. Phil watched for a moment, before turning back to the building. “Clara I’m coming. Better be prepared.”

 

*******

Clara dragged the last guard into a nearby broom closet and wiped her hands. “Sorry boys had to be done. Hope you don’t mind I swiped some stuff. You don’t  _ really  _ need your ID cards and that spare $500 in cash, right? No? Good. I’m glad you’re being so generous.”

 

Clara stuffed the items into her bra (damn Pierce for these no pockets pants), and jogged to the meeting place. She hoped against hope there would be a least a few girls there.

 

She needed at the very least 10 to make this plan work, but she was hoping for all of them. No one deserved to be kept in a cage and experimented on.

 

Clara was shocked when she arrived at the meeting point and every girl they had imprisoned was there. Even the timid ones Clara had thought would skip out.

 

“Wow,” She whispered.

 

One girl stepped forward. “Can you really do it? Can you really get us all free.”

 

Clara smirked, “I got you all here. I can get you all out… But we need to all agree on a plan, and quick.”

 

The girl nodded and stuck out a hand, “Carol. Danvers”

 

“Clara Barton. Nice to meet you all. Wish it had been under different circumstances. Let’s get to work”

 

“Are you ready son?”

  
  


*******

Phil looked at Fury, “I was born ready. I’m an Alpha”

 

Fury rolled his eyes, “Alpha status doesn’t mean jack when it comes to mates. Are you prepared for the worst?”

 

Phil clenched his teeth, “I’m prepared to fight for what’s mine.”

 

“What if she doesn’t want to be saved? You  _ did _ promise her three days.”

 

“My answer in two words: Tough Titties.”

 

Fury laughed and smacked Phil on the shoulder, “Can’t wait for Clara’s response on that one. But who knows, she may already be waiting for us at the doors. Dawn is almost here.”

 

Phil looked up to the sky, the sky just starting to change with the rising. “Get the wolves ready.”

 

“You got it… Alpha”

  
  


*******

Clara and Carol were in the lead as their group began to storm through the building. Clara didn’t think anything was going to happen until they reached the outside doors, but she was prepared for the worst.

 

Clara was lucky that she had been able to swipe those ID cards from the guards, it made getting through undetected much easier. It also helped that they had a computer hacker with them that was able to get the cameras reset much quicker than Clara had.

 

“We’re almost to the doors ladies, make sure to keep in line and follow the plan,” Carol ordered quietly as they marched forward.

 

Clara looked over at Carol, “What was before?”

 

“Army pilot.”

 

“Hot damn”

 

Carol grinned, “Yeah… I miss it… I hope to go back if this whole werewolf thing doesn’t screw me over.”

 

Clara winced, “We’ll just have to see. I’m hoping you can all have normal lives…”

 

Carol snorted, “Normal is boring. But thanks… What did you use to be?”

 

Clara sighed, “A hot mess…”

 

“Ah. Gotcha... “ Carol said with a smile, “We’re almost there. What happens if our plan falls through?”

 

“If it does, a certain male will be sleeping in his office for all time.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Don’t worry about it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (( You can prompt me if you wish for other fics, or for any ideas you may have about this fic at [ Hellogoodbye](http://hellogoodbye741.tumblr.com/ask) ))

**Author's Note:**

> (( You can prompt me if you wish for other fics, or for any ideas you may have about this fic at [ Hellogoodbye](http://hellogoodbye741.tumblr.com/ask) ))


End file.
